


Not so cleverly hidden

by cucumber_of_doom



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Drinking, Gen, Jacobi's relationship with Kepler is a Bit Not Good, mention of asphyxiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 02:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9214295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cucumber_of_doom/pseuds/cucumber_of_doom
Summary: Jacobi and Maxwell have a few drinks, a chat and Jacobi is A Grown Man Who Can Make His Own Damn Decisions. No one ever said those decisions where healthy.





	

“You have your own room this time, you know? There is no reason for you to hog my blankets,” Jacobi said on his way back from the mini bar, tossing a little plastic package of overpriced peanuts onto the mattress, prompting Maxwell to half-emerge from her blanket-cocoon. He took the bottle of beer with him to the little desk next to the window. Exiled to the chair in his own hotel room. Good thing she was his friend or otherwise he may have kicked her out for getting crumbs all over the bed.

“But then I would have to fetch my own snacks and where would that leave me?” Maxwell asked from where she was sitting cross-legged on the twin sized bed, a tabled in her blanket covered lap. She tore it open and popped one right into her mouth, all while looking entirely too much at home.

“Fetching your own damn peanuts like everybody else,” Jacobi muttered quietly. Not quiet enough, judging by the peanut being thrown in vaguely his direction. He almost succeeded at hiding his smile.

For a few more minutes, both of them worked in silence. Jacobi put the last few wires in place on the last of the cleverly disguised little bombs he and Kepler would plant tomorrow. All for Goddard Futuristics. And for fun, but Jacobi tried not to say that part out loud too often, he’d been told it made him sound a little bit crazier than he liked to come across.

He clicked shut the last bit of the casing, then leaned back and stretched.

“You done?” Maxwell asked and Jacobi grinned. He popped open his beer and emptied most of it in a single, satisfying drink.

“Yep. All done for today. You?”

Maxwell put her tablet on the bedside table.

“Same,” she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “All work done. You know what that means.”

Jacobi nodded, stood again and walked back to the mini fridge. The pair of chilled shot glasses and bottle of vodka made a rewarding ‘clonk’ when put on the bedside table next to the tablet.

“Cheers.”

 

*

 

An hour and half a bottle of vodka later, Jacobi and Maxwell were comfortably settled on opposite ends of the bed. They should probably slow down, Jacobi thought. There was work to do tomorrow and they both needed a clear head for that, but right now he had a nice buzz going and with this being one of the last evenings he would be spending on earth? Tomorrow would not be the first time he worked through a slight hangover. 

More importantly, Jacobi was starting to feel uncomfortably hot. A quick look towards the AC control confirmed his suspicion, that Maxwell had turned it all the way up. The fact that the woman had emerged from her cocoon should have been enough to tip him off. Whatever. Jacobi could handle a bit of heat.

Clearly he was not as subtle in his discomfort as he thought, because a few minutes later Maxwell nudged his knee with her left foot.

“Either stop fidgeting or take off that sweater, Jacobi. It’s not like I have never seen you shirtless,” she said, face already flushed from the alcohol. A second went by before her eyes narrowed and she sat up straighter. “Since when are you wearing turtlenecks anyway? Hiding a hickey?”

Jacobi shrugged, barely suppressing a sigh.

“Something like that.”

He really did not want to talk about his reasons for picking that particular sweater. Maxwell knew about… whatever it was he ad with Kepler, but lately things tended to get a little bit out of control. Which was nothing Maxwell needed to know the details of. He’d get it back under control. He definitely would, once things calmed down a bit. After they had sorted the Hephaestus mission. Yes. Definitely after that, but not before. That would only make things awkward and he would need the distraction sooner rather than later. Kepler always made things interesting.

He must have been a bit drunker than he thought, because next thing he noticed was Maxwell pulling down the collar of his turtleneck, exposing the ring of dark purple, finger shaped bruises around his neck. He knew it looked like someone had attempted to murder him. Which hadn’t happened. What had _happened_ was Warren Kepler, and wasn’t that a force of nature all on it’s own?

„Jacobi!“ she shrieked, when he almost kicked her off the narrow bed in an attempt to get away.

“Hey! Personal space, Maxwell!”

Too late. The damage was done, she had seen it. Jacobi felt a knot form in his stomach, tight and burning. He’d fucked up, because there it was: That _Concerned Look_.

„Please just tell me this was consensual, because otherwise I have to go and kill Kepler,“ Maxwell said. If only she didn’t look so goddamn honest, it would be easier to brush her off.

Jacobi cleared his throat, one hand unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck. He really wasn’t good with talking things through, never had been. Screw that. He was just bad with people, period.

„It‘s just some harmless bedroom fun,“ he tried. Without success: Maxwell did not look convinced at all.

„Jacobi...“ she started again. Damn it all to hell. Kepler and his stupid ideas - which had not seemed all that stupid in the heat of the moment, Maxwell and her stupid caring. Jacobi liked problems that could be solved by making them explode. This? This was unnecessary frustrating, especially with someone he did not want to permanently piss off. 

„Honestly? Do I look like anyone could force me to do anything I don’t want to?“ Jacobi hissed defensively. Maxwell sat back, crossed her arms and fixed her eyes on him.

“Anyone? No. But Kepler? Definitely yes,” she said matter of fact and Jacobi felt himself deflate. He rubbed a hand over his face, suddenly tired. This whole situation was stupid, he should simply have been more careful keeping the bruises from sight. They had been fun to get, after all.

“I am a grown man. I can handle this, Alana.”

“I know. Just… Be careful, Daniel. It will be different once he is literally the only attractive man in the solar system.”

Jacobi stared at her for a moment, letting the statement sink in. He let out a short bark of laugher

“Who says Dr. What’s-his-name isn’t more my type? Accents can be pretty hot,” he tried to clumsily change the subject. Why did he have to be so goddamn bad at this?

Maxwell frowned, unimpressed.

“Please be serious.”

Jacobi took a deep breath, willing down the need to justify himself. There was no reason. Ultimately, friends or not, it was none of her business who he decided to fuck.

“I am fine, Alana,” he said slowly, carefully emphasizing each word. That seemed to do it.

“Sure you are,” Maxwell said under her breath, poured herself another glass of vodka and threw it back. She almost didn’t cough. Once her eyes stopped watering, she turned to him again. “You want to play cards?”

Jacobi felt the nervous knot in his stomach disappear. 

“Yes, please,” he said. Things would be alright, probably.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to see me rambling about writing and a lot of random blogging, visit my [tumblr](http://cucumber-of-doom.tumblr.com/) because that's where the cool kids are.


End file.
